Study Guide for Jacob Neusner - "Chapter One: The Foundations of Judaism" in Between Time and Eternity (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1975) 5-45.  - We will work in particular on Questions 7-10 in class.

1. What are four common errors in the statement, "He is of the faith of the Old Testament" according to Neusner? ( P. 5) Summarize the ways in which Neusner "corrects" each of those errors.

2. Define the following: Tanakh, Mishnah.

3. What is the traditional story of the origin of the Oral Torah? (Pp. 10-11)

4. What are the central rabbinic conceptions of Torah according to Neusner?

5. According to Neusner (p. 19),  what are the four questions raised by the destruction of the Second Temple and of Jerusalem, including the end of cult, holy temple and holy city?

6. What does Neusner mean by the historical messianic way of approaching events? By the meta-historical rabbinic way?

7. What was the response of Jewish Apocalyptic adherents to the Fall of Jerusalem and the Destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E.? Examples: Baruch and II Ezra . (Pp. 21-24)

8. What was the response of the Qumran/Dead Sea Group? (Pp. 24-26)  Note:   Neusner's assumptions about the Qumran community.

9. What was the response of the early Christians - Christian Jews? (Pp. 26-28) How was this response similar to and different the responses of the Qumran group and the Pharisees?

10. What was the response of the Pharisees before and after 70 CE? (Pp. 28-35)

11. Why is the learning/study of Torah central to Judaism? What is the oral Torah? (Pp. 35-42)

If you are interested in learning more about the Dead Sea Scrolls and Qumran, there is information online:

The Dead Sea Scrolls - at "From Jesus to Christ" on-line at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/portrait/scrollindex.htmlYou can read about the discovery and the history of scholarship on the scrolls by clicking on "The Mystery and Meaning of the Scrolls." 

For a description of the War Scroll and an excerpt click on http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/portrait/scrolltranslation.html  Below are some notes to help you understand the reading:

A scroll from Qumran is  numbered by the number given to the cave where it was found. 1Q tells scholars that this is a scroll found at Qumran Cave 1.  The following letters come from the title given to the scroll.  Sometimes numbers follow to indicate indicate which fragment (if any), which column, and which line.

Levi, Benjamin, and Judah are three of the traditional twelve tribes of Israel. Edom, Moab, Assyria, etc. were traditional enemies of Israel.  Note the strong dualism of the Sons of Light (us) and the Sons of Darkness (them).

For a description of and excerpt from The Community Rule go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/portrait/community.html

The authors of this piece associate the community with the Essenes.  This is a majority view, but not absolutely certain.  Why do they hold that this work is central to understanding the scrolls as a whole?  What is the Yahad?  A Gentile proselyte is a convert to Judaism.  Aaron, Moses' brother, is the ancestral founder of the priestly group in Israel.  Note:  that two messiahs are expected.  Messiah means anointed one in Hebrew.